11:20 - 13:00
P2-S31
Room: -1.A.03
Chair/s:
Mads Dagnis Jensen
Discussant/s:
Berker Kavasoglu
Do increases in access to information make votes less volatile?
P2-S31-4
Presented by: Anna Sawallisch
Anna Sawallisch
Humboldt-University Berlin
Evidence on the impact of interventions for information provision on voting behavior has been mixed, but previous research underscores its importance for voting decisions. Despite this, few studies have systematically examined the effects of increases in information availability on voting behavior. Using data on exposure to radio coverage in Ghana, I investigate the relationship between radio coverage and volatility of voting choices between 2004 and 2020. Employing a Two-way-fixed-effects model and Gardner's Difference-in-Differences approach, I find that greater radio coverage reduces vote volatility, suggesting that voters show greater stability in their voting preferences. Further analysis reveals that this effect is primarily driven by commercial radio stations. I explain that through their need to attract the audience while having capacities to present nationally relevant information. This study contributes to the literature on information provision and voting behavior by empirically demonstrating how increased information availability influences voters' preferences and subsequently reduces electoral volatility. Additionally, it advances research on media effects by highlighting the role of commercial media in shaping electoral outcomes.
Keywords: Political Economy, Media, Voting behavior, Ghana, Information, Causal Inference

Sponsors